The Most Popular

After spending some months serving in a congregation, I will now tell you whom people look up to and recognize as their favorite Christian author/theologian. I am not sure I have to tell you, you probably already know. But that person would be Max Lucado.

I have read some of his stuff but not a whole lot. What do you think about him? Should he rank above C.S Lewis, Luther, Oswald Chambers, or Augustine?

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11 thoughts on “The Most Popular”

I like Max Lucado about as much as a I like John Shelby Spong and Benny Hinn. His is a class of theology that I like to call, “Chicken Poop for the Soul”. His writings are meant to make the reader feel good, but they have no real substance.

Good heavens no. Granted, most of what I’ve read of him is cute little quips that some of my friends put at the bottoms of their emails, but what I have read doesn’t seem much better. It’s all mushy-gushy lovey-dovey stuff, which makes me ill (unless it’s balanced by something else). CS Lewis and Augustine are meat and potatoes. Lucado is too-sweet cotton candy.

I got into a literal shouting match with one of my former colleagues over Oswald Chambers’ legalism. Max Lucado has occasional bright spots, I’ll admit, but they are single grains of wheat in storehouses of chaff.

I once saw Lucado speak live, and I will say this for him. He didn’t make an altar call. He just (believe it or not!) proclaimed that Jesus Christ died for your sins, and left it at that. For THAT, I am thankful.

I will also say that IF my parishoners are going to be reading “crap,” Lucado is less dangerous than Warren, Eldredge, or a host of other pure bread false teachers…(and I would almost put Chambers in that bag…) I mean, he does still use the word “Savior,” after all!

And don’t get me wrong…I love your discernment. Give me Veith, Sasse and Chemnitz, (who, by nature, sprinkle the Fathers, Aposltes and Prophets throughout!) and keep the lukewarm milk out of my cup.

Lucado’s writing is excellent. He has a God -given talent of relating the truths of the Bible in a way that hits home to the ordinary person. I would say he is one of the best Christian authors of our time. I must say, I’m surprised to read people being so harsh. His books have a way of plucking the strings of the heart.